Tunneling-shield



No. 626,063. Patented May 30, I899.

c... a. HASTINGS.

TUNINaELING SHIELDi (lppli'eatibn. filed Mar. 30, 1898.)

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C. G. HASTINGS.

TUNNELING SHIELD.

(Application filed Mar. 30, 1898.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 626,063. Patented May 30, I899. 6. G. HASTINGS.

TUNNELING SHIELD.

(Application filed Max. 30. 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shae! 3.,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CORNELIUS e. HASTINGS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. I

TUNNELlNG-SHIELD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,063, dated May 30, 1899.

Application filed March 30, 1893.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it kn own that I, OoRNELIUs G. HASTINGS, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tunneling-Shields, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in tunneling shields and devices connected therewith which are employed for excavating tunnels, subways, and conduits, and especiallyto shields which are used to best advantage in sand, gravel, silt, and similar-loose, soft, or crumbling soils, the said shields being pushed forward todisplace or aid in thedisplacement of the material in front of the shields by means of pneumatic or hydraulic pressure, or both, the intervals between each forward movement of the shield being employed in constructing within a rear projection of the shield a suitable tunnel-lining.

The object of my invention is primarily to provide a very strong, light, and inexpensive shield which will resist any and all strains which may come upon its various members; and the invention consists, essentially, in forming the entire length of the shields of two cylinders suitably connected together one with the other fromthe cutting-face to the rear bulkhead thereof, and it also consists in certain means for connecting, staging, and dividing the space between said cylinders for various purposes and for providing access thereto, as will hereinafter appear.

A further object of my invention is to divide the said tunneling-shield by means of one or more transverse bulkheads, each of which is braced in a novel manner to resist the force of concussion from blasting or extreme pneumatic pressure and to present a smooth concave face upon the forward side thereof to prevent the lodgment of material Within the shield; to provide a plurality of bulkheads within the shield, each of which may be closed air-tight by suitable doors, and to provide an intermediate chamber within which the workmen may escape from either the front working section or from rearward of the shield when desired, and may be supplied with air under any safe and convenient degree of pressure, while the pressure of air may be materiallyincreased to a degree dangerous to life, both at the head and at the hood at the rear Serial No. 675,6 '74. (No model.)

of the shield within the tunnel, as will hereinafter appear. I

A further object of my invention is to pro vide suitable means in conjunction with my double-walled shield for directing the movement of the shield, for lessening the friction upon the outer surface thereof, for changing the grade of the tunnel, and forfollowing the curvature or deflection from a straight line thereof if required.

A further object of my invention is to provid'e certain improvements in the construction of the revolving crane and in certain other details of construction hereinafter particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a tunneling-shield complete; Fig. 2, an elevation of the forward end or cutting-face of the shield; Fig. 3, a-transverse section in line 00 as of Fig. 1, looking to the rear; Fig. 4, a similar sectionin line 1 y of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a plan View of the rear end of the shield, showing the flexible hood; Fig. 6, a rear elevation of the shield,showingthe double-armed crane; Fig. '7, an enlarged side elevation, and Fig. 8 a similar end elevation, of the crane, partly broken away; Fig. 9, an enlarged face View of the scroll-disk for operating the segmentholders on the ends of the crane; Fig. 10, a perspective view of one of the cast-iron segments, and Fig.11 asimilar view of the wooden segment to be used as an outer lining when a brick lining only is to be employed.

The shell of the tunnel-shield comprises two cylinders 1 and 2, made of boiler-plates connected together, the cylinders being placed one within the other and connected at one end tothe rear bulkhead 12, at its junction with the hood D, and at the opposite end to a poripheral dished rim-plate 5, which is provided with radial cutter blades 6, projecting inwardly therefrom, and thus provide, together with the dished rim-plate, a suitable cuttingface for the shield which will effectively direct the excavated material from the outer cutting edge to the interior of the forward cylindrical compartment, the latter being provided with a bulkhead 8, consisting of a rear fiat plate 9, secured at its peripheryto the inner cylinder 2 of the shell, and a forward concave or dished plate 10, projecting forwardly at the top and dished'or curved inwardly and down wardl yat the top and sides until it meets the tlat plate 9, which forms the inner wall of the bulkhead. The plate 9 is preferably stayed upon its inner face by angle-irons 9, secured vertically thereto, which may also serve as supports orguides for the doors, the latter being either hinged or made to slide therein and are adapted to be closed tight to form an air-tight partition at the forward end of the middle compartment 11, the rear end of said compartmentbeing provided witha similar air-tight bulkhead 12, formed of double plates of fiat sheet metal placed parallel to each other and stayed by a dished plate 12, similar to the plate 10 at the front side of the bulkhead 8, the dished plates 10 and 12 serving to resist not only the excessive pneumatic pressure when caused to act upon the rear bulkhead to push forward the shield, but will effectually resist the eoncussive force of blasts used at the heading for breaking up solid obstructions of any kind. The outerand inner cylinders are connected at the forwardshellsection A by longitudinal fiat stay-plates l3, placed radially between said inner and outer cylinders and secured thereto in a suitable manner, and said cylinders are connected at the rear shell-section B by longitudinal cradleplat'es 14: of U-shaped cross-sections, which are connected'at their inner open ends to the inner cylinder and are riveted at the center line of the bow by a single row of rivets, the bow-shaped outer portion giving great strength audallowing but one row ofrivets to be employed for each longitudinal plate, which forms the sides 1t 14" of the cradles 1t, the said sides being located in the same plane with the stay-plates 13 and the cradles 1* providing suitable compartments to receive the hydraulic rains 15, which are placed at equal distances from each other around the shield. The stay-plates 13 and cradles 14 will thus be in the direct line of pressure of the rams, thus serving also as stays for connecting the inner and outer cylinders, and will give great strength to the shield both to resist longitudinal thrust and direct radial pressure. Diametric ring-stay segments 3 connect the inner and outer shell between the bulkheads, anddiametric ring'stays 4:, in the same plane with the bulkheads, give additional strength to the shield.

Air-pipes 18 extend through the lower portions of the sections, and abox e these pipes are larger pipes 19, through which water, running quicksand, or soft earth may be forced by the air-pressure between the heading and the forward bulkhead. The forward ends of-air-pipes 19 maybe either fitted with caps-or with nozzles, upon which may be socured air-pipes leading to pneumatic or other drills should said pipes be used as conduits for such purpose. The forward bulkhead or both bulkheads may be provided with pipes 21, fitted with stop-cocks 21, which admit the air from one compartment to the other on completing such communication.

Horizontal partitions, platforms, and division-walls may be arranged in any suitable or preferred manner within the shields, as shown inFig. 4, and a scaffold may be suspended bothat the frontand rear ends thereof, upon which the workmen may stand, the said scaffolds being preferably made removable. The rear end of the shield is provided with a 'hood D, which is formed in a novel manner ;Of aseries of straight strips of plate springsteel cl, secured at their forward ends to a rim (1 of the outer cylinder 1 of the shell and placed sufliciently near together to prevent the loose earth from falling between themand also admit of their being slightly bent out of a straight line, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, when it is required to change the-grade or angle of the shield=or to conduct the same in a curved line without causing theshield to bind or be cramped crosswise within the excavation; The crane 23 at the rear end'ofthe shield is-supported upon the rear end' of a shaft 2-1, carried by bearings 25, supported upon the bulkhead'sS and 12, and projects'rearwardly into the hood D, the end ofthe said shaft having the hub 23 of the crane-arm 23 secured thereto, a platfornrll in the middle compartment 11 serving to support an engine or other suitable machine 25, which is geared by pinion 24E 3111(1 24" to the said shaft 24, by means of whiclrthe crane is operated. The arm 23" sup ports amovable chuck 27, fitted-thereon by means of slotted arm extensions 23, which slide between'the side plates of the arm 23" of the crane, and'is slot-ted to receive the pins 23, connecting said'arm-plates. The chuck 27 is'fittedwith two cross-plates 27, slotted to receive a bolt 27 and supported uponlng 27 of the chuck 27, suitable clamp-nuts being fitted-upon the'bolt' 27 to hold the crossplat'es inany position at which they are set, studs 27 upon'the'ends of plates 27 also be ing provided to engage with the rivet-holes 29 ofsegment-blocks29, which are thus supported and secured upon the ends of the crane-arm. The chuck 27 is held and adjusted to any required position-distant from the center of the crane-shaft by means of a rod 30, whichconnectsthe chuck with a scrolldisk 31, a pin 30 of the said rod engaging with the groove 31 of the disk, suitable guideblocks 23 on the crane-armsserving to hold the rod inworking position. The chuck 27 is designed to support a small key-segment upon the arm extensions at one end of the double crane-arm, and a chuck 27 is provided to support the large main segments upon similar extensions, and rod 30 serving to connect the chuck 27 with the scroll-disk 31 at a'point opposite the inner end of the rod 30, the rod 30 3O and chuck 27- 27- being thus drawn together' by the rotation of the scrolldisk. \Vhen the chucks are thus placed either in or out to the required'position, they may be secured fixedly to the crane-arms by means of a pin 28 on a collar 28 of the crane-hub, which engages with a hole 31 in the hub of the this segment is properly opposite its position and the chucks then forced outwardly by the scroll-disk until the segment is held in its position to be riveted in place. are then drawn together by suit-able means or by pushing them from opposite sides, thus releasing the segments. The segments are made, preferably, of cast iron, as shown inv Fig.10, a rim-flange having rivet-holestherein providingsuitable means for securing them together.

The operation of the several parts herein claimed will be readily understood from the foregoing description, a detailed description of the placing of the shield in working position connecting it with the tunnel heading and bulkheads, means for connecting the various air, water, and conduit pipes with a supply and delivery apparatus, and the details of the mode of operating and conducting the work within the shield being well known by practical tunnel engineers and superintendcuts.

The shield may employ some of the features herein claimed Without embodying all of them, and features now shown may be added when required-for carrying out well-known objects without departing from my invention.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A tunneling-shield comprising a cuttingface at the forward end, and a hood at the rear end thereof, two concentric cylindrical shells extending from and connecting said outer face and hood, connected together at both ends thereof, and a plurality of hydraulic rams placed at the rear end of said cylindrical shells, substantially as described.

2. A tunneling-shield comprising a cuttingface, at the forward end, a hood at the rear end thereof, two concentric cylindrical shells connecting the same, and a series of radial plates interposed between and connecting said cylindrical shells longitudinally,substantially as described.

3. A tunneling-shield comprising a doublewalled cylindrical shell, a bulkhead at the forward end thereof and a series of troughshaped partitions, extending longitudinally thereof, and connected to both the inner and outer cylindrical shells, substantially as described.

4. Atunneling-shield comprisinga doublewalled cylindrical shell, a bulkhead at the for- The cross-plates ward end thereof a series of trough-shaped plates extending longitudinally thereof, connecting said shells, and hydraulic rams inclosed within said troughs, substantially as described.

5. A tunneling-shield comprising a doublewalled cylindrical shell, a cutting-face and bulkhead at the forward end thereof, a bulkhead at the rear end thereof and a number of stays extending diametrically between and secured to the said cylinder, providing cellular compartments between the shells substantially as described.

6. A tunneling-shield comprising a cylindrical shell a cutting-face atthe forward end thereof, a working hood at the rear end there-.

of, a bulkhead fitted with air-tight covered openings at the forward end of the shield and a similar bulkhead at the rear end thereof, also provided with air-tight covered openings to provide a closed chamber between the said air-tight bulkheads for the workmen within the shields substantially as described.

7. A tunneling-shield comprising a cylindrical shell a bulkhead provided with doors therein and having a concaved face to strengthen the bulkhead and direct the loose material toward the door-opening substantially as described.

8. Atunneling-shield comprising a cuttingface at the forward end, a cylindrical shell, a hood at the rear end thereof, having longitudinal strips projecting rearwardly from the cylinder and separated from each other to admit of independent movement or deflection, substantially as described.

9. Atunneling-shield comprising a cuttingface at the forward end, a cylindrical shell, and hood at the rear end thereof and a cranearm, having each of its endsprovided with an extension-piece, fitted with heads for carrying respectively the large and small segments of the tunnel-lining, substantially as described.

10. A crane for tunneling-shields comprising an arm having a centralhub, ashaft upon which said hub is supported, a scroll-disk, adapted to rotate upon said shaft, a segmentholding head movably secured to the end of said arm, and a link connecting the said head to the scroll-disk, substantially as described.

11. In a crane for tunneling-shields, the combination with the supporting-shaft of the hub, the crane arm, the segment holding block movably secured to the end thereof, the scroll-disk mounted upon the shaft, and

a bolt connecting the said hub, and scroll- 

